The CFDA, in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), announces the 2022 Fashion Manufacturing Initiative (FMI) Grant Fund recipients, continuing the support of the New York City fashion manufacturing sector.
The 2022 round of grants marks the seventh round of the program, which has invested nearly $4 million across New York City, with nearly $460,000 distributed this year.
The 12 grant recipients include: Button Down Factory, Create A Marker, Design Incubator, Dyenamix, Etier, Fugitive Patterns, Hidden in Plain Sight (HIPS) Studio, In Style USA, Knit Illustrated, Knit Resort, LW Pearl, and Tailored Industry.
Among the recipients, 50 percent are first-time recipients of funds through the FMI Grant Fund; 75 percent of recipients are women-owned businesses, and 50 percent are minority-owned businesses. Over 120 jobs are impacted across the recipient’s businesses through the grants.
Services of the recipients include pattern and sample development, cutting and sewing, knitwear services, embellishment/embroidery, fabric dyeing, printing and washing, as well as marking and grading.
Criteria for the recipient selection included qualifiers surrounding sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as community and workforce impact and overarching business viability. All recipients successfully completed both financial audits as well as social compliance audits which covered areas such as health and safety, worker wages and welfare, and more.
The FMI Grant Fund is a tentpole program under the CFDA and NYCEDC’s Fashion Manufacturing Initiative, created in 2013 to support and preserve NYC fashion manufacturers.
Supporters for FMI include Premier Underwriter Ralph Lauren, as well as other past partners such as DHL, the American Apparel & Footwear Association, Coach Foundation, Walmart, and more.
Outside of the FMI Grant Fund, the CFDA and NYCEDC have operated various programs including workforce-specific initiatives, relocation grants, the CFDA.com Production Directory, as well as FMI Grants via A Common Thread and the Workforce Relief Collective, both administered to provide critical financial and PPE support to businesses and workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pictured: A detail view at 2018 FMI Grant Fund recipient Atelier Amelia.
